White Noise
by Jessenia
Summary: TBC. Is Manx keeping secrets from the team? Who is the strange girl who comes into the shop and leaves behind riddles that only make sense during the team's secret missions? The team's search for answers gets them into a new kind of trouble.
1. Riddle

=================

WHITE NOISE

Jessenia  
  
=================  
  


The wind blew outside the shop. The area was unnaturally quiet. Not a car on the road. Not a soul walking down the street, The wind blew harder, picking up dead leaves and blowing them in spirals down the road. The sky turned an angry black, and the clouds tinged their grey selves with a pink that made the sky look like it was burning. 

Out of the darkness, a figure in black stepped out onto the deserted street and stared at the shop for a moment. The rain began to fall, and the dark figure eased back into the shadows.

_______________________________________________________________

Omi opened his eyes quickly, sucking in a deep breath. He had seen her again. Slowly, taking it easy on his tired body, he drew himself up into a sitting position. He had been dreaming about the same girl now for three nights in a row. Last night, she had hummed a tune. A tune that even now played in his head. 

She always laughed when he tried to ask who she was or what she was doing there. The most he ever got out of her was: "I don't know. It's your dream." And then she would smile a secret little smirk that he didn't understand. He didn't know why, but he liked her. Had liked her, from the moment she had first stepped into his dream. He sighed and got out of bed, stretching as he did so. They had to open the shop. It was Saturday, which relieved him of his school responsibilities, but not from work.

________________________________________________________________

"Ne, Omi. do you see the clouds building outside? It looks like a terrible storm is brewing." Omi smiled as he set out a planter he had finished arranging. 

"Hai. I saw the clouds when I woke up. We probably won't be very busy today, ne Ken-kun? I mean, people probably won't want to buy flowers in a storm." Ken nodded and looked over as Yohji came out and stretched languidly. "Morning' Yohji-kun!" A loud crash of thunder emphasized his greeting, and the bells rang as the rumbling crescendoed. Omi turned around, surprised that someone was actually interested in flowers when a severe storm was so obviously coming. 

He could not see the customer's face, it was hidden under a black hood that was pulled low. He could tell it was a girl, the build and slim figure eluded to it, and she did not speak as she walked calmly through the store, touching each blossom carefully, as if savoring them each. He was so startled, it took a moment for him to think about offering her assistance. He glanced quickly at Ken, but, judging from the way he leaned on his broom with his mouth open just slightly, he was as startled as Omi was.

"Excuse me, Miss? Can I help you?" But as he stepped forward, she picked up a single white rose and held it up to him. He told her the price and she placed the money gently on the counter before exiting the shop as strangely as she had entered it. Omi looked at the money on the counter, he shook his head, recalling his senses and scooped it into his hand. 

"Uh, Omi. You dropped something." Omi looked over at Ken who stepped forward and picked up a folded piece of paper from the ground in one swift movement. 

"A-arigatou, Ken-kun." He looked at the paper, he hadn't seen it. The woman must have left it. And yet, somehow he knew that she had not meant to take it with her.

It had reached its destination. 

He opened it carefully and looked at it. Then he frowned and read it again. Seeing his expression, Ken stepped over and read over his shoulder. "What does that mean?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. We should show it to the others." Ken nodded and followed Omi to the kitchen where Yohji had retreated to nurse his hangover, and where Aya had just entered. After explaining the strange incident, Omi handed the paper to Aya who looked at it and frowned. Yohji peeped over his shoulder and shrugged,

"The Wind heralds your coming. But the dart may sneak through unscathed? What does that mean?" The bells rang again, and Ken ran up to the front, half-expecting to see the same girl there. 

Instead, he saw Manx.

______________________________________________

TBC  
-------------------------------  


Jessenia: HIII!! I really hope you're all enjoying this. I was tentatively planning to make this non-yaoi and so far I have one reviewer who agrees with me. If you have any other ideas email me at little_shaman29@yahoo.com and I'll think of something. Maybe. I say ... A VOTE!!! yaoi? Or Non-yaoi? LET ME KNOW!!!

Please review. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

standard dislcaimers apply. 


	2. The Sound of the Wind

===============

WHITE NOISE

Chapter 2

Jessenia

================  


Manx smiled at them as they settled on the couches. It was a curious sort of smile, as if she had sensed the confusion that had been floating in the flower shop prior to her entrance. She held the folder loosely in the crook of her elbow and turned her head to the screen as the familiar shadow took up its space in the room, commanding everyone's attention, even her own. 

The mission, as they understood it, was a simple one. Sensuo was an arms dealer and drug pusher; he was using his minor position in government to wheedle his way to the funds, which he had begun pocketing. They had to get into his house and take him out. There was no information to gather, and the guards appeared slim. It was a simple in and out, and Persia had set the date for tomorrow at twelve. 

Omi didn't mention the note, and there was an unspoken agreement that it would be left to him to mention. When Manx had left, he felt the folded piece of paper that lay innocently curled in his pocket. Remembering the cloaked girl. Remembering the perfect flower she had chosen. He made a silent promise with himself to stay on guard, to take note of any possible answers to the riddle.

But for the time being, he needed to rest.

Ken smiled as Omi stood and stretched, it was the familiar feline-like lengthening of every vertebrae in his back. He could have sworn he heard a pop and, with the amount of time Omi spent at the computer, would not have been surprised if it had. "I'm going to bed." Omi stated, already heading in the direction of his room. Aya spoke from his position in the corner, arms crossed and glower in place.

"You didn't tell her." Omi stopped, turned calmly and nodded.

"It didn't seem right to make a fuss about something that doesn't even seem like anything." Aya pushed-off from the wall, looking down at the youngest member of Weiss measuringly.

"If someone knows about the mission, our lives could be in danger." Omi shrugged.

"They usually are, Aya-kun. Besides, you didn't mention it either." It was, of course, the trump card to play and Ken almost chuckled as Aya's eyes widened slightly. His frown deepened. /checkmate/ he thought. Omi said good night again and retreated down the hallway. Ken looked back at Aya, then Yohji.

"Does it bother you?" Aya was quiet for a moment, eyeing him closely.

"Iie." Yohji lit a cigarette then waved it around dismissively.

"Why should it bother any of us? It didn't even make any sense?" Ken frowned, it was the same argument he had been using against himself since Omi first showed it to him. He had never liked riddles, he had never been any good at them.

"But the reference to the dart...It seems to..." Aya sniffed.

"It's irrelevant. We complete the mission. There are no other pertinent questions." But Ken's sleep was troubled by the strange hooded figure, and the light that shone from beneath Omi's door showed that he was not the only one who was not satisfied to let the riddle go.

__________________________________________________________________________________

They ran quickly and quietly through the maze of hedges that blocked the path to Sensuo's bedroom. In the distance they could hear a faint whistling like the sweet hum of a flute, maintaining one perfect, constant note. Omi, following the directions he had memorized from the brief Manx had given them in the package, led them through the rather elaborate garden. /one more corner/ he thought and, turning the corner, could barely stop before slamming in to a large iron gate that blocked them from the small alleyway that led to Sensuo's balcony in his bedroom. The whistling sound was strong, but still soothing despite the noise. "It's blocked." He whispered, when the others had stopped.

"We can climb it. It's only iron." Ken said, not sure why there was such an issue about it. He stepped forward, ready to plant his foot in the strange designs when Omi grabbed him. He wasn't sure why, the whistling was in his head and something didn't feel right. "What?" Ken asked. Omi shook his head, still unsure when Aya stepped forward.

"The wind. It's a security system. See back there?" He motioned to a place just under the balcony where tall bamboo pipes were placed, they looked like an elegant sculpture, and that was what they had each taken them for, but the fans, planted on either side of the gate blew through them, making the sound they had followed through the maze.

"It's just a lullaby." Yohji drawled. Omi shook his head.

"No, remember the guards? There were so few, right? All the entrances and exits have high-tech systems guarding them, but Sensuo's bedroom has nothing, just the guards in the inside. This whistling is loud enough for them to hear. Any person coming through that path will block the fans, and that will stop the music. The guards will know someone is coming." Ken sucked in a breath the same time Omi did, both realizing the strange impossibility that seemed, in fact, possible.

"The wind heralds your coming..." Omi began. Ken looked at him seriously.

"She said the dart could slip through. Can you get in?" Omi turned back to the alley, shaking his head even as he scanned for a way.

"It's too tight. Even if I walked through, I would still block the fans as much as any of us but..." Ken followed the younger boy's eyes and caught-on to the thought.

"You can't possible maintain your balance on that." Ken muttered, even as Omi began to slip-off his jacket, leaving behind what was unnecessary, and what could impede both his entrance and his balance. Yohji smirked.

"Our little chibi has gone crazy." Aya levelled Yohji with an unamused glance and whacked the man lightly in the back of his head.

"This is no time to joke." Omi, handing his jacket to Ken, resettled himself in a low crouch beside the redhead and frowned at Yohji.

"I have not gone crazy. I can get climb the grate easily enough. All I have to do is jump from the gate that fence," he pointed to the bamboo trellace that was being used as a climbing wall for roses. "If I walk on the top on it, I can get fairly close to the window. I should be able to manage another jump to the balcony. I can do this." He added, though he seemed to be reassuring himself more than anyone else. Aya nodded, and the blonde grabbed hold of the fence, starting his climb. 

Ken didn't like sitting there, watching Omi go off, solo, to complete the mission. He hated thinking that if anything happened, he couldn't do anything about it. Inactivity never went well with him. He watched closely as Omi set himself up to leap from the gate to the trellace. One slip and they were exposed, but at least Omi would have time to run back and possibly make the fence. 

Omi pushed himself off from the gate and, holding his breath, felt the wind push passed him as he rushed towards the ground. He almost wanted to close his eyes, not wanting to watch in case he hit the ground. It happened in slow motion, and he felt as if he had a small millennia between when he leaped from the gate and when he began to scrunch his body in preparation for the land. 

When he hit the bamboo rod he remained motionless, feeling the precarious structure adjust to his weight. He looked at the pipes across the way, innocently playing their haunting tune. He let out a breath after a moment, and began to slowly inch along the trellace.

Yohji laughed quietly, earning him another glower from the redheaded leader. "They don't call us cats for nothing." Ken even felt himself stifling a smirk as he watch Omi balance nimble on the very narrow trellace and edge his way forward as if he were walking on solid ground. 

The tension filled the air again as Omi neared the end of the trellace and prepared to make his second jump onto the balcony. If he made it in, he had to make sure absolutely no one was aware of his presence to ensure that he would be able to exit by the same route. 

The jump was perfect, but something must have happened midway because Omi's grip on the balcony rail slipped and before he knew it he was dangling by one hand. He reached up with his right hand, but that caused his body to shift right and he heard, for a split second, the hum of the pipes stop. He held his breath, but with both hands tightly gripping the rail, he was certain he was not going to fall. He was about to hoist himself onto the balcony when he heard the door open. He stayed very still and closed his eyes, trying to will the guard away from the balcony. 

The heavy thud of boots on stone seemed to ring all the louder through each of their heads, and Yohji watched from his hiding place as the guard stood directly above where Omi hung from the balcony. And yet the guard was looking out towards them. At the far end of the garden. After a few moments of waiting with their breaths held, the guard turned around and shut the door behind him. 

Omi exhaled in relief and flipped onto the balcony, he turned back to where Yohji and the others were hiding and gave a thumbs-up before he crept towards the door and disappeared inside. 

Yohji watched as the door shut again. It seemed like hours, though in fact is was merely minutes before Omi came out again. He moved more quickly, and when he jumped down from the gate there was a dark smile in his eyes. "It's done." Aya nodded curtly and turned to go, and Yohji shook his head, laughing at the flush in the young boy's cheeks. Ken clapped the blonde on the back. "Yup." He stated as they ran from the grounds. "We're not called cats for nothing."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It doesn't mean anything!" Ken flushed and smacked his hand down on the table.

"How can you say that? Someone knew our mission well enough to predict an obstacle!" Yohji sat back in his chair and shrugged.

"And not to mention solve it for us." Manx, who was as flushed as Ken, looked severely at the brunette.

"If whoever it was took the trouble to help you, you shouldn't be concerned, you should be grateful." Yohji spoke up from the corner where he had been observing the argument.

"We are. But don't you think it's dangerous to have someone who knows who we are and what we do?" Manx shook her head in frustration.

"I'll report it, but I suggest you stop worrying. Things are under control." She flicked her red hair over her shoulder and fixed Ken with a look. "The mission was a success. I'll see you later." Even when she had gone, Ken was still fuming. He turned his aggression onto the pile of dirty dishes and began to furiously scrub them and dry them. Omi watched this from his perch on a kitchen chair. He had been silent for the entire exchange but now he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the tables. 

"Don't you think that's interesting?" Ken slammed a plate back into the soapy water and snorted.

"What?" Ken calmed down enough to face the blonde.

"Manx's reaction? I mean, she should have been very concerned, but she seemed hardly phased. She even insisted that it was nothing to worry about, and seemed put-out when she said she would report it." Ken dried his hands on a dish cloth and nodded. 

"Her reaction was almost as if ..." Ken trailed off, as if he were trying to brush-off the idea, but Omi nodded.

"...as if she knew about it."  
  


-------------------------------------------------

TBC

------------------

Jessenia: Yeah, I know it's taken AGES for me to get this out, but I've been incredibly busy. I promise I'll work harder. Please review!!! And also, please participate in the vote!!! Should it be yaoi? Should it be non-yaoi? So far it's 1-0 for non-yaoi. I really need more reviews, this is sad. But thanks SOO SOOOO much for those five beautiful people who have reviewed: Lady Harlequin, Alfirin Sereq, Faeiesinger, Lady Light and not least, AA. Thanks bunches!! ^_-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

standard disclaimers apply


End file.
